Interim Recovery Plan No. 375 Stylidium applanatum Interim Recovery Plan 2017–2022 Department of Parks and Wildlife, Western Australia March 2017 Interim Recovery Plan for Stylidium applanatum List of Acronyms The following acronyms are used in this plan: BGPA Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species CR Critically Endangered DAA Department of Aboriginal Affairs DEC Department of Environment and Conservation DPaW Department of Parks and Wildlife DRF Declared Rare Flora EPBC Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation IBRA Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia IRP Interim Recovery Plan IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature NRM Natural Resource Management PICA Public Information and Corporate Affairs SCB Species and Communities Branch SWALSC South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council SWTFRT Southern Wheatbelt Threatened Flora Recovery Team TFSC Threatened Flora Seed Centre TPFL Threatened and Priority Flora Database UNEP-WCMC United Nations Environment Program World Conservation Monitoring Centre WA Western Australia 2 Interim Recovery Plan for Stylidium applanatum Foreword Interim Recovery Plans (IRPs) are developed within the framework laid down in Department of Parks and Wildlife Corporate Policy Statement No. 35 (DPaW 2015 a) and Department of Parks and Wildlife Corporate Guideline No. 35 (DPaW 2015 b). Plans outline the recovery actions that are required to urgently address those threatening processes most affecting the ongoing survival of threatened flora, fauna and ecological communities, and begin the recovery process. Parks and Wildlife is committed to ensuring that threatened flora are conserved through the preparation and implementation of Recovery Plans (RPs) or IRPs, and by ensuring that conservation action commences as soon as possible and, in the case of Critically Endangered (CR) flora, always within one year of endorsement of that rank by the Minister. This plan will operate from March 2017 to February 2022 but will remain in force until withdrawn or replaced. It is intended that, if the taxon is still listed as threatened in Western Australia, this plan will be reviewed after five years and the need for further recovery actions assessed. This plan was given regional approval on 28 February 2017 and was approved by the Director of Science and Conservation on 22 March 2017. The provision of funds identified in this plan is dependent on budgetary and other constraints affecting the Department of Parks and Wildlife, as well as the need to address other priorities. Information in this plan was accurate at March 2017. Plan preparation: This plan was prepared by: Robyn Luu Project Officer, Department of Parks and Wildlife Species and Communities Branch, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, Western Australia 6983. Juliet Wege Senior Research Scientist, Western Australian Herbarium, Department of Parks and Wildlife, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, WA 6983. Marie Edgley Conservation Officer (Flora), Department of Parks and Wildlife Wheatbelt Region Andrew Brown Threatened Flora Coordinator, Parks and Wildlife Species and Communities Branch, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, Western Australia 6983. Acknowledgments: The following people provided assistance and advice in the preparation of this plan: Brett Beecham Regional Ecologist, Department of Parks and Wildlife, Wheatbelt Region Andrew Crawford Principal Technical Officer, Threatened Flora Seed Centre, Department of Parks and Wildlife Science and Conservation Division Peter Lacey Nature Conservation Program Leader, Department of Parks and Wildlife Wheatbelt Region Natasha Moore Flora Conservation Officer, Department of Parks and Wildlife Central Wheatbelt District Amanda Shade Assistant Curator (Nursery), Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority Thanks also to the staff of the Western Australian Herbarium for providing access to Herbarium databases and specimen information, and other Parks and Wildlife staff for assistance in developing this plan. Cover photograph by Juliet Wege. Citation: This plan should be cited as: Department of Parks and Wildlife (2017) Stylidium applanatum Interim Recovery Plan 2017–2022. Interim Recovery Plan No. 375. Department of Parks and Wildlife, Western Australia. 3 Interim Recovery Plan for Stylidium applanatum Summary Scientific name: Stylidium applanatum NRM region: Avon Common name: Flat-leaved Triggerplant IBRA region: Avon Wheatbelt Family: Stylidiaceae IBRA subregion: Avon Wheatbelt P2 Flowering period: late September and October Recovery team: Southern Wheatbelt Threatened DPaW region: Wheatbelt Flora Recovery Team Shire: Corrigin Distribution and habitat: Stylidium applanatum is restricted to a single location south-south-east of Corrigin, growing on red-brown loam or yellow-brown clay on lateritic ridges and hill slopes. The species is found in open habitat in Eucalyptus macrocarpa and E. pluricaulis shrubland with Banksia cirsioides , Allocasuarina campestris , Gastrolobium spinulosum , Petrophile glauca , Stylidium caricifolium and S. eriopodum (Wege 2007). The area of occupancy and extent of occurrence is less than 1km 2. Habitat critical to the survival of the species, and important populations: It is considered that all known habitat for the wild population of Stylidium applanatum is critical to the survival of the species, and that the wild population is an important population. Habitat critical to the survival of S. applanatum includes the area of occupancy of the population and areas of similar habitat surrounding the population (these providing potential habitat for population expansion and for pollinators). It may also include additional occurrences of similar habitat that may contain undiscovered populations of the species or be suitable for future translocations, and the local catchment for the surface and/or groundwater that maintains the habitat of the species. Conservation status: Stylidium applanatum was listed as specially protected under the Western Australian Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 on 2 December 2014. It is ranked as Critically Endangered (CR) in Western Australia under International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) 2001 criteria B1ab(iii)+ 2ab(iii) due to its extent of occurrence estimated to be less than 100km 2; it being known from a single location; there being a continuing decline in its area of occupancy and the quality of its habitat and its area of occupancy estimated to be less than 10km 2. The species is not listed under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). Threats: The main threats to the species are gravel extraction, road maintenance, altered hydrology, altered fire regimes, weeds, grazing, poor recruitment and drought. Existing recovery actions : The following recovery actions have been or are currently being implemented and have been considered in the preparation of this plan: 1. Parks and Wildlife, with the assistance of the Southern Wheatbelt Threatened Flora Recovery Team, is overseeing the implementation of recovery actions for Stylidium applanatum. 2. The landholder has been notified of the location and threatened status of the species. 3. Declared Rare Flora (DRF) markers have been installed at Subpopulation 1a. 4. Stylidium applanatum has been opportunistically surveyed for in areas of suitable habitat with no new populations located. 5. Approximately five hundred seeds collected from Stylidium applanatum are stored in the Threatened Flora Seed Centre (TFSC) at –18 °C. The seeds have yet to be processed. A further 55 seeds are stored at the Millennium Seed Bank in Kew. 4 Interim Recovery Plan for Stylidium applanatum Plan objective : The objective of this plan is to abate identified threats and maintain or enhance extant populations to ensure the long-term conservation of the species in the wild. Recovery criteria Recovery will be considered successful if one or more of the following take place over the term of the plan. • The known population has remained extant and the number of mature plants within the population has remained within a 10% range or has increased by >10% from 800 to 880 or more or • New populations have been found, increasing the number of known populations from one to two or more with no net loss of mature plants or • The area of occupancy has increased by >10% with no net loss of mature plants. Recovery will be considered unsuccessful if one or more of the following take place over the term of the plan. • The known population has been lost or • The number of mature plants has decreased >10% from 800 to 720 or less or • The area of occupancy has decreased by >10%. Recovery actions 1. Coordinate recovery actions 10. Undertake regeneration trials 2. Monitor population 11. Develop and implement a fire management strategy 3. Fence Subpopulation 1a 12. Obtain biological and ecological information 4. Liaise with the land owner, land managers and 13. Undertake surveys Aboriginal communities 14. Ensure long-term protection of habitat 5. Rehabilitate eroded area 15. Map habitat critical to the survival of Stylidium 6. Collect and store seed applanatum 7. Undertake weed control 16. Promote awareness 8. Protect plants from herbivory 17. Review this plan and assess the need for further 9. Develop and implement translocations recovery actions 5 Interim Recovery Plan for Stylidium applanatum 1. Background History Stylidium applanatum is a species of highly restricted distribution that was first collected